United Airlines Overhauls MileagePlus Program to Reward Credit Card Holders
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
0mins
Source: Newsfilter
- Mileage Reward Changes: United Airlines is significantly revamping its MileagePlus program, where credit card holders will earn 6 miles per dollar spent compared to 3 miles for non-cardholders, fundamentally altering the mileage accumulation strategy to incentivize credit card applications.
- Redemption Rate Discounts: Cardholders will enjoy at least a 10% discount on award flights, for instance, an economy ticket that costs 15,000 miles will now only require 13,500 miles, enhancing perceived value for cardholders and driving credit card sign-ups.
- Elite Member Benefits: Cardholders with elite status will receive deeper discounts, such as a long-haul business class seat priced at 200,000 miles being reduced to 170,000 miles, which strengthens loyalty among high-end customers while increasing accessibility to premium seats.
- Basic Economy Policy: Travelers without a credit card will not earn miles on basic economy fares, although elite members retain this benefit, potentially pushing some customers to apply for credit cards to maintain their mileage accumulation capabilities.
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Analyst Views on UAL
Wall Street analysts forecast UAL stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 95.080
Low
115.00
Averages
139.07
High
156.00
Current: 95.080
Low
115.00
Averages
139.07
High
156.00
About UAL
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is a holding company. The Company transports people and cargo throughout North America and to destinations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America. The Company, through United Airlines, Inc., and its regional carriers, operates across six continents, with hubs at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Denver International Airport (DEN), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and A.B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM). Its hub and spoke system allow it to transport passengers between a large number of destinations with frequent services. The Company has contractual relationships with various regional carriers to provide regional aircraft service branded as United Express. It provides freight and mail transportation services (Air Cargo).
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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